Mass. Needs Sick-Leave Mandate
Regarding the March 19 article (Page One), "Sick-Leave Mandate Stirs III Wind": For the nearly 1 million Massachusetts workers and their families, proper health care is largely out of reach. That's because they don't have basic, paid sick days - and it means higher costs for them, their employers and our communities.
I know this first-hand. I am a registered nurse at St. Vincent Hospital and see patients every day who unnecessarily contracted illnesses in their workplaces or unnecessarily got sicker because they couldn't take the time off from work when their symptoms first appeared.
Take it from me: When someone has to work sick, illness can spread to their co-workers and the public. This is especially true in food service, child care and retail - the jobs least likely to offer paid sick days. If more people get sick, more people seek care and costs rise.
There's also the fact that workers without paid sick days often forego preventative care and use emergency rooms because they can't take time off work. This can have a devastating impact on their health, and emergency trips can cost two to five times more than primary care.
Massachusetts workers, businesses and communities should not have to pay more because workers can't earn paid sick days. Establishing a standard is an easy way for the Legislature to make our Massachusetts healthier and save us all money. It's time.
Marie Ritacco, R.N., Auburn
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